The Red and the Black [antikvár]

Notes About the Author and France Between 1783 and 1842 Stendhal was the name used by the French writer, Marie-Flenri Beyle. Flenri Beyle liked to use false names instead of his true name. Stendhal was a clever man who liked to tell jokes. He enjoyed making people laugh. But he was also shy - he felt uncomfortable when he met strangers and he could not talk to them easily. Stendhal did many different kinds of work during his life. He was a merchant, a soldier, a diplomat^ and a writer. But he never had much money. When he had money, he spent it on fashionable clothes and good food and drink. Stendhal fell in love with many women, but he never married. Stendhal was born in Grenoble in France, on 23rd January 1783. When he was seven years old, Stendhal's mother died. He did not have a good relationship^ with his father and they often quarrelled^. When he was a young boy, Stendhal was educated in his home. His teachers were priests^ Between 1796 and 1799, Stendhal attended a school in Grenoble. He was a good student of mathematics and he enjoyed reading the poems and plays of William Shakespeare. Many changes took place in France when Stendhal was a child. King Louis XVP ruled France from 1774 to 1792. The king and his family lived in large and beautiful palaces and they spent a lot of money. Louis chose the ministers of his government and he made all the important decisions about his country. There were three classes - or levels - of society in France. These classes were called the First Estate, the Second Estate and the Third Estate. The people of the First Estate were important members of the Church. For example, bishops.